Securing brake-beam supports to spring planks



yMay 19, 1925. 1,538,281` W. E. FOWLER, JR

SBGURING BRAKE BEAM SUPPORTS To SPRING PLANKS Filed July a, 1924.Patented May 19, 1.925.

lnarran STATES PATENToFFlcE.

WILLIAM E. FOXLE-R.` JR., 0F MOUNT LEBANN, PENNSYLVANIA, SSIGNOR TODAVIS BRAKE BEAM COMPANY, OFJOHNSTUXVN', PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA TION OFPENNSYLVANIA,

SECRINGBBAKEBEAM SUPPORTS T0 SPR-ING PIJANKS.

Application and my s, 1924. seriai No. 724,803.

To all ywhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLAM E. Fowi'ina, Jr., residing at MountLebanon.v in the county ot' Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania., acitizen of the United States, have invented or discovered certain newand use- :tul Improvements in Securing Brake-Beam Supports to SpringPlanks, of which improvements the following is a specification.

In an application tiled May 15, 1924, Se rial Number 713,561, is shownand described means tor so securing a brake beam sup-` porting rail tothe spring plank oit a car truck that the rail will have a resilientbearing at two points on the underside ot' the plank, and a resilientbearing on the upper face of the plank, the latter' point of bearingbeing intermediate the other two points. In the construction shown insaid application, a loop is so formed in the rail approximately midwayof its an opening in the plank. opposite sides of the loop, the railbears directly on the underside of the plank and the portions ol therail betweenthe loop and the points of bearing curve downward out ofcontact, andthe loop is made ol such a length. relative, to these curvedportions that the loop cannot be passed throughan opening` in the springplank sul'liciently lar to permit ot a supporting pin to be passedthrough the loop without flexing and placing undert-ension thedownwardly curved portions intermediate the loop and the points wherethe rail bears on the underside of the plank.

The invention described herein relates to a modification ot theconstruction above de scribed.

In the acompanying drawings forming a part of this specilication Fig. 1is a plan view showing a portion of a spring plank and a rail forsupporting the brake beam secured to the springplank `as hereinafterdescribed and claimed; Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views on planesindicated respectively by the lines II-II and `III-III, Fig. 1.

In the practice ol? the invention the supporting rail extends across thespring plank length asv to be capable ot being passed through At pointson 1 and projects suliicient distances on each side thereof as tounderlie the tension members 2 of the brake beam. Wvhen in operativepositions, the tension members 2 restin seats 5 in shoes 4 which aremovably mounted on the rails. In order to facilitate the movements otIthe brake beams away from the wheels7 the outer portions of the railsare inclined as indicated at S. Suitable stops 3a are provided toprevent.accidental movement ot the shoes from the rails.

As shown, the supporting` rail is arranged under the spring plank andthe intermediate portion of the rail is so bent that the rail will ybearon the. underside of the plank only at points adjacent to the edges otthe plank as indicated at G. The means employed tor suspending the. railfrom the plank at a pointvl interniediate the bearing points or seats 6are so constructed that the portions intermediate the seats are flexedand placed under tension before the rail can be connected to the plank.Inthe construction shown `herein the suspending means consists ot a link12 through which the rail is passed and a key or pin 10 adapted to bepassed through the upper portion of the link when the latter has beenpassed through an opening 9 in the web: of the spring plank. As will beseen in Fig.` 2, the portion 8 intermediate the bearings'or seats 6, .isseparated a substantial vdistance 'from the-underside ot the plank andthe link is made of such a length that 'it cannot pass through theopening in the plank sulliciently liar to permit ot the insertion of thekey or pin without deflect-ing the portion 8 from normal position. Asthe rail is made of resilient material, the tlexure o'l the portion 8will cause the seats together with the link 12 to bear resiliently onthe plank vand the pin 10' respectively.

vWhile any suitable means may be einployed to prevent materiallongitudinal movement of the rail, it is preferred to so ol'set-*aportion ot the rail as to form a recess or seat 7 for the reception otthe ring or link. A desirable means for preventing a movement ot the pinor key as will permit of the dropping o'l the link.` consists in forminga projection 13 on the underside of Sii the key adapted when the latteris in operative position to projeot into the opening 9 in the springplank.

I Claim herein as my invention:

l. The combination of a spring plank of a Car truck having an openingtherethrough, a supporting rail, a link surrounding the rail andextending through the opening in the plank and means passing through theportion of the link projecting above the plank and hearing on the upperside of the plank for supporting the link.

2. The combination of' a spring plank of a ear truck having an openingtherethrough, a supporting rail having spaced points of hearing on theunderside of the plankr` a link surrounding thel rail at a pointintermediate the points of hearing on the plank and projecting throughthe opening in the plank and means passing through the portion of thelink projecting through the opening and bearing on the plank forsupporting the link.

3. The combination of a spring plank el a ear truck having an openingtherethrough, a supporting rail having spaced points of hearing on theundersides of the plank and having a seat or offset intermediate. suchspaced hearing points, a link surroinnlingthel rail and engaging theseat or offset therein and projecting through the opening` in the plank,and means passing through the portion of the link above the plank andhearing on the plank for supporting the link.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM E. FOllVIllll'` Jn.

